A Takari(?) Dinnerdance
by Kawaii Yolei Chan
Summary: Chap. 2 is up! The night of the dance. ok, lame name, sry. U dont actually kno if it's Takari or not. Tk's such an idiot... 8TH gread dinnerdance. The only digidestined ur dealing with are Tk, Yolei, and Kari. Davis gets a very small mention.
1. Hooking up

disclaimer- don't own digimon! that simple!   
*~*~*~~~&*~*&~*~*&~&*(lazy ^^)   
  
*(an- yah, it's italics, but my computer won't do that.)Tk had protected Kari through battles everywhere- they were best friends forever. Davis had come to understand that. Tk had given Kari his coat at the slightest breeze, and always gave her the bigger half of the chocolate piece, or umbrella. Yolei, Kari's other best friend found all this cute. Kari insisted they were just best friends, because, afterall, they had known each other since second grade.   
Tk felt much the same. He was a little protective of Kari- he knew how prone to sickness she was- or used to be. There was pondering at whether it was all those double layers of coats, or Kari's maturing (physcly), that had built up her immune system's strength. They really were best friends forever- and they could share anything and everything with each other.   
When the pair reached seventh grade, their friendship saw it's biggest test. Kari was being tugged away from this dimension. Tk fought, but he couldn't do anything, from outside the battle field- which was Kari. Tk thought there was something Kari was hiding something- he told her the only he'd been hiding.   
"Kari, I really care for you, and..." It might have seemed obvious that they cared for each other's well-being to anyone else, but it took them longer to reconize this. Once Kari was back to her normal state, she shared her own secret, in a left-handed sort of way. She explained she "cared for you too" to Tk. She had a crush on him, but for now, enjoyed her best friend, not boyfriend.   
Yolei, of course, found this somewhat funny, and tried to set them up together. Any time they went to a movie though, it was as friends because, for fear of breaking their trust, Kari wouldn't speak up.   
In eigth grade, Tk suprised Kari- he asked her to their eigth grade dinner dance. She, glad to be completely open with him at last, accepted, and they had a blast. Tk was very glad he had hadn't looked twice at Courtney- espically because he and Kari remained a couple through high school- and senior prom.*   
  
And Kari hit print on her computer. As the printer made noises, Yolei Inoue, Kari's best friend, came in the door of the Kamiya house wearing a maroon cap sleve shirt and dark flared jeans. A year seperated the two- Yolei was a freshman at Odiba High, and Kari was still at their middle school. They could only talk on afternoons and weekends, but Kari and Yolei still shared *everything* with each other. From boys in the different social lives to the fact that 'those awesome pants make your butt look big' to exactly WHY it had taken so long to build the Trancontinental Railroad, these two had talked about everything.   
Now Kari had invited her over to a sleepover, and she wanted Yolei to read her latest story- Yolei didn't know what she was in for, but Kari thought she could trust her. She might blab about other people, but not Kari, afterall- Yolei really didn't want to ruin her reputation at keeping this kind of secret.   
"What's that?" Yolei asked Kari now.   
"A story of mine- care to edit it for me?" Yolei had edited papers for Kari before, and enjoyed reading her writing.   
"Sure," and with that, Yolei settled into a poufy chair to read while Kari set out two sodas and some chips.   
Yolei spoke when she finished- "It's non fiction, except for the end. Kari, you might not want to hear it, but you know it- Tk *is* looking twice at Courtney- much more than twice. With the eigth grade dinnerdance coming up, you have two choices- tell Tk how you feel, and hope he doesn't ignore it, or actually reacts; or you can try to set him up with Courtney, who is oblivous to his existence and watch him enjoy himself all night, while only dancing with your friends, to the fast songs."   
Kari winced, but knew hearing from Yolei was better than hearing it from anyone else.   
"Sorry if I was too blunt." Yolei saw *everything* about Kari. "No, someone else could have been worse. And you're right, I just didn't want to admit it to myself."   
And Tai came home. In the middle of their wonderful disscusion. "Admit what?" Tai went to Odiba High, same as Yolei. Before Yolei had made friends, the older digidestined had welcomed her to their lunch table. Yolei didn't have any problem being open around Tai now, even though she did have other friends. "*cough* clueless Junior *cough*" She choked now. Tai had interupted many such conversations during the lunch periods Yolei sat with the digidestined.   
"Hey! I happen to know what you said, which doesn't make me too clueless!!" "Uh-huh, sure."   
" I *also* happen to remember what you and Sora were saying a week ago about a certain redheaded 'computer wizard' and coul-"   
"I'm so sorry," Yolei cut him off, "You aren't clueless Tai- You are amazingly smart, and you know everything you need to know." Yolei added under her breath- "which is probably why you've stopped paying attention in class..."   
Tai ignored her, and turned to his sister. "Admit what?" he repeated.   
"Oh," Kari sighed, rising her eyebrows at Yolei, who was making motions to shut up behind Tai's back. Kari was actually going to explain to him!   
Yolei cut in, "Kari needed to admit that she might not get head cheerleader." Yolei said the first that came to her mind.   
"Oh, well, I'm sure you'll do well. Maybe next year!" and Tai headed down the hallway. "Wait! Does a middle school even have cheerleaders?"   
Yolei thought. She and Kari traded glances. "No! That's why she needs to stop worrying! She's already looking at next year!" Yolei shouted.   
"Oookkk." As Tai walked into his room, he asked himself   
Kari breathed easily, "Thanks." "Hey, it was a chance to make fun of Tai- how could I turn it down?" Yolei laughed.   
"But, um, what was this he was saying about a certain redheaded 'computer wizard'? What did you tell Sora exactly?"   
Yolei blushed a deep red. "It's a high school thing. Now, what were we talking about?" Kari just noddded, knowing by the morning she'd know everything, and waved her paper around.   
"Oh, yeah. So, which way do you think you'll go?"   
Kari thought out loud- "well, Tk *did* say he 'cared for' me, but I think that was as a friend. I don't want to be too embarressed to talk to him, if I confront him and he doesn't feel the same, and I don't think he does, considering how he's been head over heels for Courtney. I also don't think I could stand watching them go the the dinner-dance together, but I don't want to miss that. I *do* have a couple of friends who are planning on going alone, even though it's still two weeks, and they could be asked. It'd also be really sweet if Tk saw me, and forgot about Courtney, but that's so in my dreams."   
Yolei looked exactly like Izzy as she raised one finger and shared a fact with Kari- "Hey, Kari, you know what Walt Disney said, right? He said 'If you can Dream it, you can do' or something along those lines. *Now* I'm playing with your words, but anything you want hard enough, you can get eventually! Now everyone knows 'Walt Disney'! Mimi just saw one of the movies on a babysitting job."   
"I guess so. So, I need your help! I'll go single- that includes refusing everyone who asks if there are any- Davis giving up in my story is non-fiction afterall- and then look *really* nice. I'll hang out with my friends, and maybe dance with some others. If he doesn't notice me at all, that means he doesn't like me and I should be content with his friendship- if his full attention isn't on Courtney- I have a chance."   
Yolei was amazed at the sense Kari was making. "Since when did you become a Mimi on boys? Ah well, I'll have some fun dressing you up!" Kari rolled her eyes- she wasn't one for makeovers, but for Tk... She ran to her bedroom to get everything that could prove useful. They spent the rest of the night fooling around, chosing Kari's outfit for the next day- afterall, Tk hadn't asked Courtney yet!- and the dance. Tomarrow she would be sporting cute jean shorts, a white tank top, and a pink plaid cover-up.   
Kari spent a lot of that night teasing Yolei about Izzy- who actually put up with it, somewhat. If it took Kari's mind off Tk...   
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________   
  
Tk noticed Kari's outfit, but also rambled on about Courtney to her. They really were best friends- he told her everything. Sometimes that was too much for Kari; all she could do was to keep her mouth shut- she didn't trust herself to speak.   
"Well, it's obvious enough who I want to take... what about you?" TK asked Kari, for no matter how head over heels he was for anyone else, he'd always care about Kari. Thought it seemed to never go past friendship.   
"No one so far. Believe, you'd be the first to know, except maybe Yolei, if there was someone I wanted to take." Kari assured him.   
"You know, it's obvious you like Courtney to everyone. She's not doing anything. If I were you I'd check out anyone else who seems like they like you. There's more than you think." Kari almost put her foot in her mounth.   
Tk nodded gravely, though he still glanced longingly at Courtney in the hallway.   
____________________________________________________________________________________________   
  
"Nothing like a good glob of grey mush to brighten up your day, eh?" Justine asked Kari with a twinkle in her brown eyes. Kari smiled up at her friend as Justine sat down at a lunch table Kari sat at. "EEEWWwww! there's a HAIR in here!"   
"Um, Jus? I believe this is yours," Kari pulled it out to examine, "See- it's red and very crooked"   
"Crooked? That's a new word to describe this stuff." Justine gestured to her thick, frizzy mass of hair, which, when dry, was to just past her chin. Wet, it came to her shoulders.   
Kari smiled at her energetic friend. Her happiness faded into happy puzzlement as someone passing by dropped a note on Justine's plate. About to point it out, Kari noticed another 'someone' approaching.   
"Jus! It's a NOTE!" Amanda squealed, practically jumping into a chair. Justine looked up from prodding the grey lumps are her tray called "cafeteria food".   
"Oh, hi Amanda. Yeah, you'd notice that, it's at *your* eye level," Justine was always teasing the short vetinemese girl about being so short.   
"Sooo? What does it say?" Kari was curious.   
"I think you guys need to breath," Justine informed Kari and Amanda(who was almost falling off her seat) as she opened the crumbled bit of looseleaf.   
"So, Justine, shall I tell them, or will you?" a third friend of Kari's announced herself. She was looking over Justine's at the scrawled letters.   
"I think I can handle this Meghan, but thanks for the offer," Jus told the blue-haired girl settling in across from her.   
"Billy Bob Joe just invited me to his family's hoedown. His nick name for me is "Sally Sue" I guess. So you guys should get some air. Whoever delivered this note was a table off. I think that's Sally Sue at that table, in the overalls," and Justine got up, went over to the next table and gave the note to Sally Sue.   
Amanda let out a breath she had obviously been holding. "We really get all types here, don't we?" she said to Kari and Meghan.   
When Justine seated herself again, there were a couple giggles. A couple more. Then they all cracked up.   
Once they had gained control of themsleves, Kari, ever curious, asked Justine, "So? What's the deal with the hat?"   
The girl Justine had been talking to, whose name was actually Caitlin, just gave Jus a strange look, and asked her what the joke was. On the way back to her own table, with a confused look on her face, *another* someone had slipped a big cowboy hat on her head, with a sign taped on it that said "Sally Sue".   
Justine was just as confused as her friends. "I don't know," she explained, "wait! There's something in here." Indeed there was.   
A note (again!) fell onto her hand-   
*I'm saving myself face, using notes. So, will you? go to the dinner dance with me that is. This should be Justine who's reading this... aka Sally Sue.   
-Billy Bob Joe (better known as Nick)*   
Jus smiled, and passed the note on to Kari, who passed it to Amanda, who promptly squealed.   
Justine scribbled something on the note and held it out to Kari. "Will you do the honors?"   
Kari nodded, took the note, and stood up. On her way to deliver it onto Nick's tray, she read what Justine had writen- took you long enuff :).   
She smiled, grabbed one of the many pieces of trash on the floor (a perfect excuse to pass the table- the trash can) walked behind him, and dropped her friend's note on his lap. By the time he turned around, she had thrown out the trash, and was seating herself again.   
"Nice," Meghan approved. "So, Amanda, thinking of anyone?"   
"Well, you know I've had my eye on Will-" "Yeah, that must have hurt your neck." Jus jumped in. Will was very tall. He and Amanda would make a very interesting looking couple.   
Amanda gave her clever friend a sarcastic smile and continued. "I still think he doesn't notice me."   
Kari gave Amanda a "I'm sorry" pat on the shoulder. Kari changed who was under the heat... "Meghan? and you?"   
"Got it all under control. you see, I've got a friend in the business."   
"What business?"   
"Match-making. Leah has garunteed me a date with one of our guy friends by the end of the day."   
Leah was one of their friends with a different with B block lunch, while these had A block. The guy friends she mentioned all had either B or C   
"Maybe I should ask her too." Kari suggested to her friends.   
"But, aren't you and TK going together?" "We're just friends- have been for years," Kari said firmly, tring to convince herself as well as her friends.   
"I'm *sure* Leah could help you!" "I'm sure she could too. I'll talk to her after Algebra."   
____________________________________________________________________________________________   
  
"Yay!" Leah was delighted that someone was *asking* her. So far only Meghan had. Many times she had to persuade people into letting her set them up.   
"No amount of time either- just so long as there is still someone left- Someone good."   
"Okie dokie!" Leah was in a *very* good mood. Kari was giving her more than a day! "This'll be fun!"   
"I'm sure it will. See ya soon!" Kari turned off into her next class.   
"bye!" Leah called over her shoulder, almost *skipping* down the hall.   
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"Hello?"   
"Yolei! great. I solved my problem!"   
"Great. Wait- let me switch to the phone in my room."   
"ok"   
Kari sat on her bed, waiting, when she heard, distintly "HANG UP THE PHONE!!!"   
"Ok, what?"   
"You remember Leah?"   
"Sure"   
"She's setting me up with one of my other friends that's a guy!"   
"You're hugely disapointed. I know that voice"   
"Urg. But it's better than nothing!"   
"Sure it is. Cept TK might not ask you to dance at all now."   
"I doubt he was before."   
"Pessimist"   
"Maybe, but- Oh, I'll just ask Leah to make sure we go *as friends*"   
"That's what you are"   
"Exactly. Oh, freak. I really wante-   
"You really want my sister to hear you?"   
"Huh?"   
"Speaker phone dearie"   
"She's heard this whole thing?"   
"Well, her room's next to mine. She could have."   
"Why am I on speaker phone?"   
"I'm, uh, working on something."   
"Something for a- I quote- "re-"   
"No! she could've heard that too!"   
"Oh. but is it?"   
"No. but i doubt you'll believe me"   
"Yaha. well, talk to ya later!"   
"yeah."   
"Bye"   
"Bye"   
and they both hung up, as Yolei continued to paw through her closet. "urg! Nothing's right"   
"Nothing's right for what? or should I say who? Maybe, Re-" Yolei's sister was standing in the doorway.   
"No, it's not..." Yolei continued to explain what she was doing to her sister, who actually believed her, and put in some opions.   
"Thanks!" Yolei said before heading to the kitchen for a snack.   
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"Jono!" Leah cried out the next morning.   
"Huh?" Jono, or Jonothan, turned around, blonde hair ruffling as he went.   
"Got any ideas on a date for the dinnerdance?" Leah asked him in a suggestive tone. "Should I? You all know very well I don't like anyone" Jonothan replied. By "all" he meant his and Leah's circle of friends. "'Course you don't. Kari doesn't either." Jono gaped at her. "A- what's that supposed to mean and B- Uh, TK! geez, Leah, you're getting stupider by the day. That brunette wig isn't working too well. Why don't you take it off and be the dumb blonde you are?"   
Leah rolled her eyes."Back to the subject? Kari needs a date, you do too."   
"First of all, who said anyone *needs* a date, and, well, you can't count past one can you? Second- 2, it comes after 1- I wouldn't want to go with her, incase she thought I really, like, had a crush on her. She's just a friend, like you."   
"I'm touched." the girl muttered, thinking about something. "Fine! You'll go as friends."   
"No." "WHY NOT?" "Cuz I don't want to!" "I'm gonna follow you around till you agree." "And that's soo terrifying!" Jono was mad now. He had to get to his locker. "It'll slow you down, like it is now." "Fine, just cause Kari's my friend." "You won't regret it!!!" "I better not. Now, I got to go, I assume you'll tell her." "Of course"   
Jonothan was already dashing away.   
Leah walked in the opposite direction, grinning from ear to ear. On the way, she wrote a note to Kari and slipped it in her locker explaining and saying they'd talk same time as the day before.   
The note went along like this-   
*Kari- got date for you, ttyl- Leah*   
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Justine was already at the lunch table and Kari came next, grim faced.   
"What kept you? Mr. Miller usally lets you out first."   
Kari nodded, seating herself. "Bathroom."   
"So it wasn't a failed test." Jus was geuninly concerned.   
"Nope. I wanted to go with someone as friends. Look at this." There was no question where Kari had wanted to go, so her friend leaned forward.   
"Another note!" Amanda squealed (again). "I swear, you practice that," Justine told Amanda. "Amanda, Kari's very unhappy. She only wanted to go as friends." Kari nodded glumly.   
"Talk to Leah- we all know she can fix *anything* in this kind of situation."   
"Yeah, I guess so..."   
"Hey, maybe Meghan can help. She's certainly in a good mood. 'Course, she's also really late. What's up?" Jus asked the fourth friend who sat with them.   
"Leah rocks!"   
"So we've heard," Amanda said dryly, explaining Kari's situation. "Just talk to her- she'll fix it." Meghan knew Leah best, so they all nodded, then hounded on her- "Who?" Amanda puffed out. Meghan laughed, and replied, "Kif". Amanda squealed. "Do they ever end?" Jus asked Kari, who smiled weakly. She survived lunch, thinking only of talking to Leah.   
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"Leah! Don't wanna go with Jono, 'less it's just friends, got my reasons!"   
Leah grabbed Kari's shoulders. "That's great! I didn't explain corecctly in my note- you ARE going as friends. got it?"   
"running, late" Kari explained, nodding and puffing.   
"ok, bye." Leah said, releasing her friend, who immeditaly dashed off.   
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The next day brought only good news- Jonothan was much happied to be Kari's friend, not boyfriend. Her other friends were in high spirits too, as Kari learned guess where! LUNCH!-   
Amanda was last this time, though they usally kept the order from two days before, depending on their fourth period teacher.   
Amanda plumped herself down next to Justine, on the end, grinning from ear to ear.   
"Don't tell me!" Jus said as Amanda opened her mouth. "SQEAL! no, no, you would have done that before you sat down, then it must be..." she paused dramacticly. "You just found out that Oshkosh wants you to model for them!"   
"No," Amanda said, pouting a little, but then grinning again. "Will just asked me-" She stopped as a "pancake" or so they were called, landing on top of her lunch bag. "What was *that* for?" she glared at Jus, who had thrown it. "It's still warm- put it on the back of your neck- it should dull the pain. Knowing Will, he took forever, and you've got a horrible ache.   
The meal was deposited in her lap. "I guess I deserve that." "I'd say so," Kari said, laughing.   
"Hey!" and Kari got a sausage on her salad. "You know," Kari said with an evil grin, "Meghan, you look very tired. Need to wake up?" and the sausage was flying towards Meghan's face. As expected, Meghan caught it with no problem, lobbing it to another table, watching it land in someone's lasnaga from home. Laughing, she turned back around. The rest of lunch was a very enjoyable affair.   
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Kari relaxed for the next week- she had a date, of sorts, her friends did too, and everyone in class- including the teachers- was goofing off. More than once small explosions came from the science lab, but no one really cared. Saturday saw Yolei and Kari at the mall.   
"Why can't I just wear my christmas skirt?" Kari was asking as Yolei herded her into a department store. "Jono's no one special."   
"And TK is."   
"And TK is sooooo out of my reach, and I just want to enjoy myself." TK had been very pleased to hear Kari was going with Jono, but couldn't understand why they were only friends.   
"Ok, fine, how about this- I want to help you shop. Besides, anything from christmas is going to be too warm." Yolei was already taking some stuff off the racks.   
"Yolei- it's going to be a skirt- I don't want to be that *dressy*!"   
"Sure you do." Yolei was heading towards the changing rooms, Kari in tow. "Look. I've got 1 dress in there- the rest are skirts and shirts, ok?"   
A resigned sigh came from behind the door. "This dress is a last resort, ok?"   
"Kari! just try it!" Yolei's patience was wearing thin. "You've got nothing to lose!"   
The girl sitting next to Yolei put her fist in her mouth, shoulders shakeing with laughter. Yolei hadn't noticed her till now. Justine waved her free hand and Meghan stepped out "let-" and she stopped. Jus's hand was on her mouth.   
Yolei explained by calling out again "Come on, Kari, hurry up!"   
"WAIT!" Kari yelled. Meghan kneeled over, trying not to laugh out loud. As the handle turned, Meghan and Jus became totally serious. Well, as serious as the could be. They *did* manage to swallow their laughter.   
"I got the worst over with first," Kari explained, wearing the dress. She turned at the sound clapping.   
Once she was breathing again, Kari muttered to herself "nothing like a good suprise to brighten up your day"   
"Yup!" Meghan exclaimed, coming over to examine the dress. She had just finished choosing hers. "Good timing, eh?" Justine asked from a seat she had chosen next to Yolei's.   
"Hey, you got the worst over with, right?" Yolei said, grinning. "Fine. I guess you guys are gonna stay till I've been through em all?"   
"Great friends, aren't we?" Meghan said, sitting down on the floor next on Yolei's other side, while Justine nodded. Kari worked her way through the skirts while the three other girls talked- Justine and Meghan were Yolei's friends too!   
"I still like the dress best."   
"Me too."   
"Me three."   
"I don't" Kari crossed her arms. "You aren't the people. Majority vote." Yolei said stubbornly.   
"I can veto! It's my money." The dress they were exclaiming over was a nice pink shade, down to the knees, sleveless(an- not strapless, sleveless). It looked great on Kari.   
"We don't care. You'll thank us, I promise." Meghan told Kari.   
"FINE! If I regret this, you guys owe me." "YES!" All three of them jumped up, and almost *carried* her to the cash register, where Kari and Meghan paid for their choices.   
Walking out, Kari muttered "I think I'm regretting it." Her friends just rolled their eyes.   
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Everyone Kari knew, including herself, was delighted that week. Except TK. TK, who was sweating through his shirt every day- before gym- trying to make himself ask Courtney. She was still completely ignoring him.   
Kari was as reasuring as possible. She had given up on him- that wasn't the hard part. The hard part was he countered everything she said. On Wednesday, she lost it.   
"But you know Cou-" SLAP. "Tk! If you keep telling yourself that, it'll be true! Now, I order you to go ask her the dance. Before someone else does." Tk, apalled, decided it was best to listen the Kari. He walked over and-   
"Courtney, will you go to the-th-the di-d-di," he stuttered. Suddenly he couldn't see, for a head of blue hair was in the way.   
"Courtney, will you go to the dinnerdance with him?" Meghan pointed back at TK, and stepped out, walking back.   
"Sure," Courtney said, with a small smile. "Great, I'll see you there then?" TK found it *much* easier to talk now. "Yep." They both walked their own ways. Tk headed back to Kari who just asked him, "Now, was that so hard?" "Yes! thanks Meghan." Meghan stood next to Kari, and replied, "Your welcome, but Kari asked me to."   
TK gaped at Kari. "What's so hard to believe? You weren't getting anywhere by yourself." Kari said, enjoying his amazement.   
"Yeah, but, but, but why?" "Because I didn't want Courtney to think you were a blubbering idiot." Kari told him sensibly. "Though you looked like one anyway" Meghan teased him, earning an elbow in the ribs from Kari.   
"Listen, we got to go- you tell Kari how much you worship her later, ok?" Meghan continued, checking her watch.   
"Uh, yeah, sure." and they split off, Meghan going down a center hall, TK and Kari walking left and right.   
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ok, i can't put the end in here, there's not room on my computers memory to have it in this document- the next chapter is the dance. PLZ review. I don't mind if you reveiw the second chapter only, but put something in for both (esp. since this is most of the story) I usually reveiw stories at the end of chapters. So you don't have to reveiw this. NOW, what about that chapter? Huh? |   
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	2. The dance

Discalimer- don't own digimon- tho everyone else is mine  
YAY!!!!!! I've finally finished! I'm very happy. Don't disappoint me, please reveiw!  
The last day of school was very empty. In that, they had been told they didn't have to go. Right around dusk though...  
"Kari! we need to go!" Kari's mom yelled up the stairs. She ran down the stairs, jumped in the car, and rode the whole two minutes. Getting out, she pointed her parents in the correct direction- to the eigth grade gym, where the parents would stay. the kids would have the sevnth grade gym, for which every single one of them was grateful.  
As Kari walked to the gym, she looked for friends. Spotting Justine (easily) Kari hurried up to her. She was wearing a long green skirt and gray shirt. "Hi- told you to get that dress." the redhead greeted her. "I know, I know. Where's everybody else?" Kari asked as they headed inside- she *had* been a little late.  
"Man, this gym brings back memories of our days as stupid little sevies, huh? oh, in here- we waited for you." Justine explained. Their group had gotten a table- spread around it were:  
(an- this isn't the order their sitting in, just who's there)  
Meghan, Kif, Nick, Justine (who was seating herself), Amanda, Will, Leah, TK, Courtney (who wasn't *really* in their group, but everyone was friendly with), Jono, Kristin, James, Chelsea, Stephanie, Phoebe, and an empty seat for Kari.  
Kari was somewhat pleased to note that her friends managed to keep her away from Courtney. Snide remarks had been building up in Kari, all of them about Courtney. She stood behind her seat and asked "Why don't we go get some pizza?"  
"Because," Stephanie explained, "There has been a volunteer to waitress us." "Uh, how can she wait on all these tables?" Kari pointed out, with the wave of a hand.   
"Who knows. She thinks she can though, so, it's not our problem." James said, leaning back.  
Kari sat with "That's true. I wonder who it is." "I know that it's a girl, and that she came here before going to Odaiba High, where she is now." Phoebe told Kari. A debate followed while Kari looked around. There wasn't much time for anyone to get very mad, as within two minutes, a girl scutulled over, her face hiden by pizza boxes.  
She threw down 2 cheese, a pepperoni, and a sausage. By then Kari could make out her face. "Yolei!" she jumped up. "Hi. I'll talk to you later, and I'll be by with soda in a minute." She certainly had her hands full, so Kari sat back down. Immeditaly everyone was asking why Yolei was here. Kari knew her best of everyone, but they were all Yolei's friends.  
Kari quickly explained that she had no idea why Yolei had come. At that, everyone dove for the pizza. As the boxes were passed around, Yolei came around with a tray of soda. She left two Cokes, one Pepsi, and one Sprite. She showed them how to put up a flag that'd tell her they needed something.  
She left again before they could ask her anything. Drinks were poured, and conversation started up again.  
Kari started when her drink actually *hopped* into her hand. Farther down the table, Justine had slapped the table quite hard, making the cups bounce a little. From the look of things, a good bit of teasing was being aimed at her and Nick. Trying to make a point, Jus had underestimated her own strength.  
She smiled "angeliclly" up the table. Kari laughed and took up the task of eating her pizza. She spent a very enjoyable first-half-of-the-night talking with friends she usually didn't see. Even though Steph stuck to Sprite, which is Caffiene Free, she was amazingly hyper by the time Yolei came around with a trash bag. Most of the table was with her, and it was a relief to be able to stand up and run around a little. Of course, they couldn't really run, but that was ok.  
Now that everyone was standing up, Kari could see what Amanda and Meghan were wearing- Amanda had a knee-length dress with diagonal stripes of three different shades of yellow.  
Meghan had a blue knee-length skirt, fading into a white stripe in the middle and blue flowers across the stripe. Her shirt was a plain white cap sleeved one.  
Standing in a circle with Amanda, Justine, Meghan, Will, Kif, Nick, and Phoebe, Kari was having a great time. Then she remembered something- "Jus, how come I can see the seam of your skirt. It's not on purpose, is it?"  
"Oh, yeah. The outside had these flowers on it," Jus laughed. Everyone else laughed too.  
Just then a song started up. Everyone looked up, startled. Kari was reminded of something. Telling her friends she'd be back in a second, she ran up towards the area that held the DJ, the equipment, and the cds. Behind it all was Yolei.  
She had shed the apron she wore before (it was disgusting by now) and had a pasty green tank top and pair of Khaki shorts on.  
"Hey! Why'd you come?" Kari asked her, climbing onto the 'stage'. "Oh, I thought it'd be fun- it's not like I had anything better to do." Yolei blew off the question. She didn't want to tell Kari she had come to make sure Kari enjoyed herself. "Got a request?"  
"No, no, just coming to say 'hi'. Is that shirt new?" "Nope. Remember when I was on the phone with you? I was trying to find something new to wear *here*. My sister stopped by to ask what I was doing, and lent me this," Yolei explained. "But now it looks like I need to take some requests- stop by whenever you feel like it, but you might find yourself kind of busy." Yolei turned her attention to someone else, and Kari went back to her friends.  
The rest of the night could be classified as "fun" or "great" or "enjoyable". She *did* dance with Jono, once, but only because their friends pushed them- Tk included. Courtney didn't though... it seemed like she *didn't* want them to dance. When she told Jus, she got a unhappy answer: "Maybe she hates you, personally. Maybe she doesn't want you to have fun. And maybe I'm just a pessimist" Justine shrugged. As soon as she finished though, Yolei was starting a fast song, and they scuttled onto the floor.  
The music was mostly pop, though there was some country too. Plus one or two line dances.  
Kari really enjoyed herself, too. She didn't think about Tk the whole time- more about her friends in general. During the slow songs (Yolei couldn't *not* play them) she just sat with her dateless friends (including Jonothan) on the side.  
She was always glaring at Courtney when Tk lead her onto the floor too. At least, she was when she wasn't busy being happy about something. She was glaring once when Courtney refused. Kari's anger turned around into confusion. That confusion grew as Courtney walked toward her. Kari stood up, not sure what else to do.  
"Hey," Courtney said softly. "I need to talk to you. You seem to think I like Tk. Now, don't get me wrong- I *do*... as a friend. But the guy I wanted to go with was taken, by accident, infact, and he asked me. Could you have said no to *anyone*? Even if it was someone you hated, which Tk isn't, could you say no?" Courtney asked, patiently. Kari shook her head silently. "Can you forgive me?" Courtney asked, pleading now. "What's to forgive?" Kari said smiling.  
"I know you like Tk."  
"Oh. Well then, who did you want to come with?" It was the least Kari could do for Courtney, who seemed so troubled at taking "Kari's boy".  
"J- Jonothan," Courtney muttered, voice very low. Kari started grinning. Jono had looked a little like he liked her too- why else... and it all fit together. Kari grabbed Courtney's arm, marching her right up to Jono, who was talking to friends. When they reached him, he turned, turning the lightest shade of pink. Now Kari was certain.  
She shoved Courtney forward, and the two caught each other. Kari grinned over Courtney's shoulder, asking Jonothan "She's why we came as friends, right? Enjoy youselves guys," and she walked toward Yolei to get a slow song next. There was still a while left for the pair.  
Looking up at Jono, Courtney thought, I owe you one, Kari She totally forgot about Tk, who blanched at the site of the dancing couple. He tried to charge out to the floor when he felt a hand on either arm yanking him back. He turned around to see Meghan and Justine, each holding an arm, and Kari- looking very mofia boss-ish- standing between.  
"There was a reason she was ignoring you, you know. She couldn't tell you 'no' either. Now, why don't you let her have some fun?" Kari asked, pointing to a chair. He plumped down, and his guards let go.  
"Kari, you don't know how this feels! To find out someone you like, doesn't like you. No, they like you as a friend." Tk told her, his eyes pleading. For what, Kari didn't know. For her to tell him she was lying?  
"Oh, you'd be suprised." She muttered, walking to get something to drink. While she was gone, Justine slapped him. This wasn't as strange as Kari's slap from a few days before, because Jus slapped anyone who really vexed her. Except she never slapped with all her strength- and this time she did.  
"You ass," She told him, keeping her voice low, while he covered his cheek with a hand. More suprising was her language. "Kari's liked you all year, but never bothered to do anything about it. You know why? Incase you didn't like her too. Then you start, start, almost *ignoring* her when Courtney springs up. Worst of all, Courtney is going to break your heart- well, this is junior high, she'll break your heart on a smaller scale- and Kari gets to deliver the news. Kari, who is nice to everyone, that's the only reason you came here with Courtney, but becuase Kari had to be nice to Courtney, too, KARI had to make you unhappy, something she hates. She hates that because she has a crush, a big crush, on you. Has had one for a while. She was really good at hiding it, too- I didn't guess till just now. You didn't guess either. You were totally oblivious in your obsession with Courtney. She's been really strong too- she put up with you ignoring her, she was content, or tried to be, with your friendship. The person she likes hasn't liked her for awhile, and she never even let anyone know, much less give up, like you! You couldn't even thank her for putting up with you, could you? No, no, I guess you need some more time to wallow in your own misery. I'll just let you do that alone." And Jus upped and left, leaving Meghan there, who told him one sentence- "And I wouldn't blame her in the least if she stopped liking you." With that, Meghan followed.  
Kari hadn't been mad in the least, but Jus and Meghan went straight to her cutting between people having conversations. Tk saw her give them an inoccent look, then gasp. At that point, he put his head in his hands. He had screwed up soooo bad. Justine's harsh words echoed through out his head- "You couldn't even thank her... she has a crush, a big crush on you...almost *ignoring* her... Kari, who is nice to everyone..." Tk couldn't help but think that she wasn't being nice to him right now, and then hate himself for thinking that.  
Why hadn't he seen that earlier? Was it really because of his infatuation with Courtney? Was it because he was afraid that he was dillousioning himself? He had liked Kari for a while- she had probably liked him too. Dammit. He was afraid of giving himself to much credit then... he never thought it possible that she *really* did like him to. Dammit again. And now look at the two of them. Their dates were dancing, he looked like a guy who had just been dumped- which was true, and Kari, Oh, God, he didn't want to think about what Kari would be doing right now. Dammit a third time.  
Kari was having her fair share of "dammit"s with Meghan and Justine. "So now what am I supposed to do?" She asked. "Dance! You shouldn't do anything till Tk does something," Justine assured her. Yolei was starting up a fast song. Kari allowed herself to be pulled onto the dance floor. Once her friends were sure she would stay there, they let go, and Kari went over to hang out with Courtney. Sort of to show her that she was considered a friend now.  
Meghan and Justine followed, though a little confused. When they saw that Courtney and Kari were being nice, they relaxed, exchanging confused looks. After a few more fast songs, Kari sat down for the slow one. She was alone- everyone was dancing. Well, everyone except Tk, but she didn't want to think about him.  
He was thinking about her though, and he finally walked over to her. When she looked up and saw him standing there, she said something he hadn't really expected: "Listen, you're aren't going to make me feel any better. I know you don't like me. Why don't you go, go, go dance with anyone besides me. You like all of them as much was you like me! And they only consider you a friend." She gestured toward Stephanie and Chelsea, who were mockingly dancing together.  
Tk kicked her ankle lightly. "You don't understand. I *have* liked you. I've liked you for a while. I just always assumed that there was no chance that you would like me, even though you did. I didn't want to tell myself you *did* like me, incase you didn't. I didn't want to dilliousion myself. Then, taking what I felt for you, I bounced back onto Courtney. I never considered what you had to put with, or that you had held out longer than me."  
"You mean all that crud about Courtney, was really trying to hide that you liked me?"  
"Yeah." Tk offered his hand.  
And the song ended. They both laughed, and joined their group of friends, who were in the middle of a throng around Yolei. Kari fought her way to the front, then she heard what they wanted. They all wanted Yolei to sing a song for them. Her choice. Kari battled her way onto the stage, and whispered in Yolei's ear, "or shall they all find out about 'a certain-'" Yolei shouted at this point "FINE!" She glared at Kari, who was jumping down. Kari only grinned angelicly back.  
She started a fast song so she could think- Cotton-eyed Joe.  
  
"Where did you come from..." the CD began as Yolei started scribbling something on a piece of paper.  
Kari joined her friends again, listening to the song. Justine was already teaching Phoebe, Chelsea, James, and Will- everyone else knew the line dance. The girls were careful with their skirts, though Jus's proved very comfortable while dancing. The girls with shorter skirts needed to watch out.  
When that ended, Yolei paused for long moments, wondering what song to sing. It had to be slow- that much was obvious. Letting her thoughts wander to Kari and Tk, she decided on a song she had just writen.  
It was her first song ever- there wasn't really a tune, she'd have to make that up as she went along. Pushing the butterflies out of her stomach, she opened her mouth, and sang-  
  
************  
Always together,  
never apart,  
that was the strength  
of friendship in our hearts.  
  
Best friends for years,  
You and I;  
We had no limits,  
not even the sky.  
  
Through thick and thin  
we've stuck together;  
We had a friendship  
no one could sever.  
  
We grew older,  
the days flew by,  
and now I find myself  
looking you in the eye  
and saying-  
  
Here we are, you and me  
at a crossroads in life  
and it is the perfect chance  
to end my enteral strife.  
  
But I remain unknown to you,  
did you even know I was female?  
And to think I put up with you,  
even tried to keep you hale.  
  
We're at a point  
where we've come face to face  
so what can I say?  
We've nearly ended a race.  
  
The winner could be either of us,  
it could be you, maybe I,  
and if we're really lucky,  
we'll end it in a tie.  
  
and with the passing years  
I have a growing fear  
that you'll never notice me  
a friend is all I'll ever be.  
  
Afterall:  
  
Here we are, you and me  
at a crossroads in life  
and it is the perfect chance  
to end my enteral strife.  
  
But I remain unknown to you,  
did you even know I was female?  
And to think I put up with you,  
even tried to keep you hale.  
  
Yet you've opened my heart,  
you have the key.  
Now the question is  
do you love me?  
***************  
  
Kari and Tk were slowly swaying together, eyes locked together. Kari gave a slight sad nod, and Tk just squeezed her hand. They glanced around and smiled at their friends paired together. Tk pointed at Jonathan and Courtney. "They really make a cute couple, don't they?" he asked.  
"Not as cute as you," Kari told him. He blushed and turned back to her. The sound stopped and everyone clapped and cheered for Yolei.  
"Now you guys got to say Goodbye, it's time to find your parents- find them before they find you," Yolei warned everyone.  
The looks of horror that swept the crowd made Yolei laugh as she hopped down behind the equipment to start unplugging it.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
(NOTE: Hale means Healthy)  
The music was Americana. I don't know how much country there is in Japan, I know there's none in europe, but I really wanted to put that in. It's basiclly american except that th characters have always lived in Japan, so I had to deal with that. i wrote the song Yolei sings. i'd appreciate feedback on it, but it's not nessicary. I don't really like it much.  
Ok, peeps, I'm REALLY sorry about how I always had specific outfits, but an obsession of mine is cartoon dolls, so I made outfits for all of them. hehe... i went a little overboard @_@  
This also means my resources were limited... BUT I still managed to keep the outtfits in character! go mee, go mee^^  
I might have those three appear in future fics, i kinda like 'em. Oh, the story behind Amanda is that her vetinemese parents moved to Odaiba as newlyweds. Thus, she's vetitnemese in looks and blood, but she lives in Japan.  
Also, the dinnerdance is usually (at least at my school) like, at the beginning of June, but that's OK! rite? in this it's on the last day. that's just the way it is.  
I just realized that TK gave up, even tho his crest is hope... oops. SORRY. it's how i planned it since i got the idea tho, so...DEAL WITH IT *audience sweatdrops*  
  
and reveiw. pweety pwease? 


End file.
